Aussie ‘bar staff’ recruited for virtual pub

Australians are being recruited to act as “bar staff” for a virtual pub set up in the UK.

Ex-landlady Jo Bowtell launched The Virtual Pub Facebook page, with 12,000 members signing up in just over a week.

Bowtell used to run The Noel Arms in Leicestershire, but told the BCC this new venture is "the biggest pub I have ever had and it does fit round my children".

"It is pretty much like going to a pub but doing it from your living room,” she said.

"They might only nip in for one drink and that is fine, we have all done that."

Quizzes, cocktail making, and live music all run through Facebook live videos, while a comedy night sees performers communicate through Skype, film it on YouTube and post a link to the page.

"We have got an Australian moderator so someone is working through the night on requests,” Bowtell said.

"There are key workers getting in from work at odd hours and it is a way to connect with people."

Sheridan Randall, 31^st March 2020